[gixxerwimp]

 

miceblue /img/forum/go_quote.gif  
I received confirmation from OPPO Digital about these things:
 

When connected to an Android device using the supplied USB Micro B cable, the HA-2 does not draw power from the mobile device. If it is connected using a common OTG dongle, the HA-2 will not know that it is connected to a mobile device and will try to draw power.

The supplied USB Micro B cable is the key for the HA-2 to know that it is connected to an Android device. The cable is basically two common OTG dongles connected back to back with a special resistor on the detection line for identification. When this cable is used, the HA-2 does not draw power from the Android device.

If the HA-2 is connected to a computer or an Android device using regular OTG dongle, it will draw power from the source device. The charging circuit inside the HA-2 will decide how much power it can draw by gradually stepping up the current and monitoring the voltage. If the voltage drops too much it will back off to a lower charging current. Of course if there is no power to draw (such as in the case of the Sony Walkman connection), the HA-2 will use its own battery power.

 
Would it be possible to get a schematic of the OPPO USB OTG cable? So we could make our own with desired length/connectors. Guess there's always reverse-engineering it.

 

[vlach]

I received mine today as well, and I'm very happy with the performance I'm getting out of it. 

I'm using an iPhone 6 + Tidal as the source, and I have to say that this combo has been pretty spectacular with all the headphones I've tried so far. 
It even drives the HD650 quite admirably. Sonic signature seems to be slightly on the warm side of neutral; just barely. 

My first impressions are extremely positive so far. 

What DAC/amp were you using before and how does the HA-2 compare?

 

[gixxerwimp]

 

vlach /img/forum/go_quote.gif

TheChillburger /img/forum/go_quote.gif

Just got my HA-2 in, listening to it now. So far so good!

Compared to what?

 
Chillburger is just chillin' to tunes and enjoyin' his new toy

. We don't always have to be comparin' ...

 

 

[vlach]

I just went the rounds looking for something to use with an iPod classic w the 30 pin connector.
The amp/DACs will only work as amps, there's no easy digital out capability on the old iPod .
It does have a line out, that you can get with a $10 FiiO adapter, it bypasses the volume and EQ circuits and delivers a clean analog signal.
I sent that into a FiiO E6, and the sound is greatly improved.

The whole shebang cost under $40 and weighs 16 gm, a tenth of the amp/DACs, Easy to carry.

How does that relate to this thread?

 

[vlach]

My quick impressions

MY VERDICT 

The HA-2 is beautiful to look at, and sounds pretty good too. But the inconveniences of a separate USB DAC (with an iPhone 6) and insufficient power for my HE-560 cans means the HA-2 is going back to Oppo and I am keeping the Mont Blanc E12 at less than half the cost.

Thank you. That is all I needed to know.

 

[vlach]

I have said it before, and I'll say it again, unless you like quiet music with your tea in the morning, I can't imagine how the HA 2 could possibly power the 560s well at all. Again, there is a difference between getting adequate volume, and well driven. My E12 was on full volume high gain with the 560s and that didn't seem that loud to me at the time and certainly thinner than the 560s should sound. I'll have to try that again if I can find my adapter, maybe I'm remembering incorrectly?

Out of curiosity, what was the source used to feed the E12?

 

[rschoi75]

What DAC/amp were you using before and how does the HA-2 compare?

 
I actually went out and bought an ipod touch 5th gen today so I'll compare with that instead of the iphone 6... 
 
 
iPod Touch 5g 64gb + Oppo HA-2 vs:
 
 
- Macbook pro + Woo Audio WA7d + WA7tp.
 
This is my current home set up, and I really love it. The elegant blend of form & function are just top notch. When comparing sonic signatures, the iphone 6 > HA-2 is a little more neutral, and not as rich sounding. The dac in the HA-2 is, however, better than the built-in dac of the WA7, which makes for a bit higher resolution. In the future I will use the dac from the HA-2 to feed the WA7 at home. 
 

 
 
- vs CEtrance HiFi-M8.
 
This was my previous portable dac/amp. The HiFi-M8 sounds just as good as the HA-2, has more options, and has a bit more power. The downside vs the HA-2 was that the dac only goes to 24-bit/192khz, and it is also much larger in size than the HA-2. The smaller size + fit/finish + lower price is what made me switch over to the HA-2. I am willing to sacrifice a bit of power for the other benefits, so I traded away the HiFi-M8 a few days ago. * Sorry, no "vs" picture available.  
 
 
- vs Astell & Kern AK100ii
 
I realize this is a tough & somewhat unfair comparison since the AK100ii is a stand alone DAP, but I own it, so it's getting tossed in.
 
Both have their pros/cons.
 
The AK100ii has the same built-in storage of 64gb vs the ipod, but it has the edge over the ipod with a micro sd expansion slot. The ipod has no room for expansion. The AK100ii also sounds a bit better. It's clean, warm, musical, but it can't really power the hard to drive headphones. The UI is easy to use, but not as not as fun to use as IOS (no apps, or games to distract you). Also, it can't make use of streaming apps like Spotify or Tidal. That was a big downside for me, as I use Tidal a lot. 
 
The ipod 5g 64gb + Oppo HA-2 combo has more power and the dac on the HA-2 is of higher resolution, is cheaper for the whole package then vs the AK100ii alone. The downside of the combo is that it's bulkier than a stand alone DAP, and the extra cables & rubber bands can be annoying at times. 
 
I appreciate both the AK100ii and the iPod + HA-2 combo for what they can respectively do. If I had to choose one though, it would probably be the iPod+ Oppo HA-2 combo for it's price point, and more available features in the combined package. 
 

 

[vlach]

I actually went out and bought an ipod touch 5th gen today so I'll compare with that instead of the iphone 6... 


iPod Touch 5g 64gb + Oppo HA-2 vs:


- Macbook pro + Woo Audio WA7d + WA7tp.

This is my current home set up, and I really love it. The elegant blend of form & function are just top notch. When comparing sonic signatures, the iphone 6 > HA-2 is a little more neutral, and not as rich sounding. The dac in the HA-2 is, however, better than the built-in dac of the WA7, which makes for a bit higher resolution. In the future I will use the dac from the HA-2 to feed the WA7 at home. 





- vs CEtrance HiFi-M8.

This was my previous portable dac/amp. The HiFi-M8 sounds just as good as the HA-2, has more options, and has a bit more power. The downside vs the HA-2 was that the dac only goes to 24-bit/192khz, and it is also much larger in size than the HA-2. The smaller size + fit/finish + lower price is what made me switch over to the HA-2. I am willing to sacrifice a bit of power for the other benefits, so I traded away the HiFi-M8 a few days ago. * Sorry, no "vs" picture available.  


- vs Astell & Kern AK100ii

I realize this is a tough & somewhat unfair comparison since the AK100ii is a stand alone DAP, but I own it, so it's getting tossed in.

Both have their pros/cons.

The AK100ii has the same built-in storage of 64gb vs the ipod, but it has the edge over the ipod with a micro sd expansion slot. The ipod has no room for expansion. The AK100ii also sounds a bit better. It's clean, warm, musical, but it can't really power the hard to drive headphones. The UI is easy to use, but not as not as fun to use as IOS (no apps, or games to distract you). Also, it can't make use of streaming apps like Spotify or Tidal. That was a big downside for me, as I use Tidal a lot. 

The ipod 5g 64gb + Oppo HA-2 combo has more power and the dac on the HA-2 is of higher resolution, is cheaper for the whole package then vs the AK100ii alone. The downside of the combo is that it's bulkier than a stand alone DAP, and the extra cables & rubber bands can be annoying at times. 

I appreciate both the AK100ii and the iPod + HA-2 combo for what they can respectively do. If I had to choose one though, it would probably be the iPod+ Oppo HA-2 combo for it's price point, and more available features in the combined package. 

Very informative & useful post rschoi75! We need more people like you around here!
Good to know about the SQ comparison with the M8 as I always wondered how it performed against the HA-2.
Thanks again for sharing your experiences!

 

[Sonic Defender]

Out of curiosity, what was the source used to feed the E12?

It was a Sony A17 with the FiiO L5 cable so bypassing the A17s amp. I also tested this combination with my ZMF x Vibro and again full out on the E12 at high gain, decent volume level, but certainly not ear splitting loud by any stretch of the imagination.

 

[Gr8Desire]

Dang! Another problem with my two day old HA-2:  It will not charge my iPhone 6.

I engage charging by turning on the HA-2, selecting input A and pressing the side mounted battery charge/level button. The charging symbol on my iPhone 6 appears and then returns to non-charging state after about 2 seconds. 

I followed up by trying to change an old micro USB disk drive. Similar problem: will not charge for more than a few seconds. 

Can anyone with a recent HA-2 shipment confirm that iPhone charging works?
 

 

[tarainfo]

  Dang! Another problem with my two day old HA-2:  It will not charge my iPhone 6.

I engage charging by turning on the HA-2, selecting input A and pressing the side mounted battery charge/level button. The charging symbol on my iPhone 6 appears and then returns to non-charging state after about 2 seconds. 

I followed up by trying to change an old micro USB disk drive. Similar problem: will not charge for more than a few seconds. 

Can anyone with a recent HA-2 shipment confirm that iPhone charging works?
 

You may have done this but you have to press that button till the blue light lights on on the HA-2
Mine works

 

[mandrake50]

  I have said it before, and I'll say it again, unless you like quiet music with your tea in the morning, I can't imagine how the HA 2 could possibly power the 560s well at all. Again, there is a difference between getting adequate volume, and well driven. My E12 was on full volume high gain with the 560s and that didn't seem that loud to me at the time and certainly thinner than the 560s should sound. I'll have to try that again if I can find my adapter, maybe I'm remembering incorrectly?

I just got my HA-2 last Thursday. I have only got a couple of hours with it so far. I like the device. For me it is a bit on the large side for pocketability, but I can live with it. I have a Galaxy S6 on its way to me, so it should match up size wise with that pretty well. I am not sure how the stack will work for a shirt pocket..
 
I first used it with my AKG 7XX. Just because they were handy. Using the laptop with Foobar I found that I could run the digital volume and analog volume on the HA-2 maxed out and get levels well above what I typically listen at with no detectable clipping or distortion. I hooked up the HE 560. Now I only listened for under half an hour while playing a few of my reference songs. These include some high bit Jazz, Chesky Binaural, and classic pop and rock pieces. I think it sounded quite good maxed out, but the level was just about at my typical listening level. I found the 560 to sound just as good as out of my X5 at similar levels and I liked the sound signature better than the 02/0dac stack that I sometimes use for travel. I added 10 DB of gain on the Foobar eq. Now I had to turn the HA-2 volume down a couple of notches. At that level I did not find any loss of quality, no bass thinness and quite a satisfying experience overall. With the volume on the HA-2 maxed out, while louder than I like, it did seems to be starting to fall apart a bit.  I will have to try it with my HTC DNA later, but if it does as well, I think that it and the HA-2 will be just fine for portable use with the 560. Not that this combination will be something that I will use extensively. The 560 does not lend itself to portable use. But for travel, once at the destination, I think it should be a viable option.
 
I need to spend a bit more time with the unit, but that is what I have found so far.

 

[rschoi75]

  Dang! Another problem with my two day old HA-2:  It will not charge my iPhone 6.

I engage charging by turning on the HA-2, selecting input A and pressing the side mounted battery charge/level button. The charging symbol on my iPhone 6 appears and then returns to non-charging state after about 2 seconds. 

I followed up by trying to change an old micro USB disk drive. Similar problem: will not charge for more than a few seconds. 

Can anyone with a recent HA-2 shipment confirm that iPhone charging works?
 

 
Works for me. Mine was from the early April shipment. Maybe your lightning cable is bad?  
 

 

[mandrake50]

 
The HA-2 is beautiful to look at, and sounds pretty good too. But the inconveniences of a separate USB DAC (with an iPhone 6) and insufficient power for my HE-560 cans means the HA-2 is going back to Oppo and I am keeping the Mont Blanc E12 at less than half the cost.

 Isn't there more to it than volume level? I have an E12 here. I have not done a direct comparison yet, but have listened to the E12 extensively over the year plus that I have had it. The device has what has been referred to as the FiiO sound. From memory, I definitely prefer to use the HA-2 with my 560 than the E12.
 
Also, the question about input level is a very good one. Changing the drive ... input signal level makes all of the difference in what comes out. I mention this in my previous post about my impressions.
 
Of course, if you are happy with the E12,that is great. For people considering the HA-2, I don't think that volume levels in his tests tell the whole story!

 

[zilch0md]

I had a busy week and have only just now read the last 70 posts, but a critical contribution was made by miceblue that deserves revisiting (judging by the minimal response).
 
Quoting miceblue's post at http://www.head-fi.org/t/755879/oppo-ha-2-portable-headphone-amplifier-dac-discussion-thread/780#post_11497006
 

I received confirmation from OPPO Digital about these things:
 
Quoting [an OPPO engineer] :
 

When connected to an Android device using the [OPPO] supplied USB Micro B cable, the HA-2 does not draw power from the mobile device. If it is connected using a common OTG dongle, the HA-2 will not know that it is connected to a mobile device and will try to draw power.

[snip]
 
The supplied USB Micro B cable is the key for the HA-2 to know that it is connected to an Android device. The cable is basically two common OTG dongles connected back to back with a special resistor on the detection line for identification. When this cable is used, the HA-2 does not draw power from the Android device.
 
If the HA-2 is connected to a computer or an Android device using regular OTG dongle, it will draw power from the source device. The charging circuit inside the HA-2 will decide how much power it can draw by gradually stepping up the current and monitoring the voltage. If the voltage drops too much it will back off to a lower charging current. Of course if there is no power to draw (such as in the case of the Sony Walkman connection), the HA-2 will use its own battery power.
 
[snip]

 

 
This confirms my "hunch," posted a month ago to this thread, with the added information that OPPO's supplied USB Micro B to Micro B cable is special - not to be substituted if using an Android, unless you're OK with the HA-2 pulling power from the Android device.
 

 

 
UPDATE 4/18/2015:  See miceblue's update to this information on receipt of corrected information from OPPO: 
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/755879/oppo-ha-2-portable-headphone-amplifier-dac-discussion-thread/855#post_11505935
 
And here's the wiring diagram provided by the OPPO engineer (for the OPPO-supplied USB Micro B to Micro B cable):
 
 

 
Mike